Nacho cheese SAUCE or melted cheese? (inspired by Nacho Toppings thread)

[PotatoHouse]

This will either spawn a heated debate, or a dead thread...

Which do you prefer on your nachos, cheese sauce (Velveeta or maybe Queso Blanco) or melted cheese (like a Cheddar/Jack blend)?

[alliegator]

Sauce, all the way. I'm not really a fan of corn chips, but I'll make a nacho-like dish with fries. The recipe mentioned above here on chow is great, the sodium citrate makes all the difference. And I was lucky enough to try it the day I read it---one of the joys of being married to a chemist :)

[sandylc]

When you say corn chips, are you talking about Fritos?

[alliegator]

No, that came out wrong, haha! Tortilla chips--the normal nachos kind. I have an unpleasant getting sick memory involving them :/

[melpy]

As a kid nachos were Tostitos white corn original chips with Monterrey jack melted over in the toaster oven or microwave then dipped in salsa ( I forget he brand mom uses to use). I prefer a cheese sauce and it never occurred to me to make a cheese sauce for homemade nachos. Usually I do a dip at home. I like the white queso which tastes like the cheese sauce was made with Land I Lakes white American cheese.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

Melted cheese!

I regard Velveeta as a form of plastic, not cheese, plus, it makes the nachos soggy and gross.

I usually use grated medium or sharp cheddar, layered between the chips as well as on top, and keeping a close eye on it so I remove it when the cheese is melted but just starting to brown.

[sandylc]

I am shocked that the answers so far include only fake cheese and cheddar - neither of which could be remotely Mexican.

[Perilagu Khan]

Well, nachos are not, strictly speaking, Mexican. They are border food and as much Tex-Mex--which makes liberal use of cheddar and American cheese--as Mexican.

[sandylc]

They were invented in Mexico. I don't have a problem with Tex-Mex and I even (reluctantly) accept that cheddar is used liberally in it.....

I was just expecting to see some Monterey Jack going on here...

[DuffyH]

+1 to Monterey Jack. I use it in combo with cheddar. I like it's melting properties, but enjoy the added flavor of cheddar.

Mostly I've found that if cheddar is applied too heavily, or the nachos are stuck under the broiler for too long, that's when it gets greasy and clumpy. I've had really good luck using straight extra sharp by pre-heating my Breville while I'm heating the beans, shredding, etc... then sticking the completed dish under the broiler for about 1 minute, just enough to begin melting the cheese. Practically perfect, like Mary P. :)

[Perilagu Khan]

Yes, Piedras Negras, right across the river from Texas. They were almost instantaneously adapted to Tex-Mex and may well be more popular in Texas than Mexico. And do we really know what cheese was used on the first plate of nachos? Wouldn't shock me if it was cheddar. Presumably, cheddar is not entirely foreign to Mexico.

[James Cristinian]

I've only seen nachos in Mexico along the border. This article suggest inventor Nacho Ayala used yellow Wisconsin cheese.

http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/t...

[DuffyH]

Melted cheese. In my little world, cheese sauce is for dipping. If I must, I'll pour it over chips (and nothing but chips, no peppers or other add-ins), but that results in some floppy chips in the bottom of the bowl. So let's just stick with melted cheese over nachos, with FRESH diced jalapeños, pico, lettuce, black beans, cilantro and... nope, that's it. I'm good. :)

But I do love scooping up queso blanco with chips. Yum!

[EWSflash]

What's queso blanco? I know it means white cheese, but it's being used (it seems like anyway) here to describe a sauce. I think of Mexican white cheese, queso fresco or queso cotija.

BTW, I like nachos both ways, but lean toward shredded or crumbled cheese, not a sauce.

[sandylc]

Queso blanco is a white melting cheese found at Mexican grocery stores.

[Perilagu Khan]

Funny you started this thread. I made nachos last night that, while perfectly good, left me a bit underwhelmed. And I think the "problem" was that I used grated extra sharp cheddar. It seems to me that this form of cheese just tends to cook away and dry up in the oven. Next time I'm making a cheese sauce.

Anybody got any tips for confecting the perfect cheese sauce for nachos?

[DuffyH]

We use extra sharp cheddar for almost everything in my house, salads, tacos, you name it. But it doesn't melt well. I like to mix it with Jack cheese for nachos.

A lot of people all around the interwebs swear by this sauce, but I haven't tried it yet:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/30493-per...

[calmossimo]

I haven't tried this recipe, but I thought it looked intriguing when it was first posted: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[Perilagu Khan]

Sounds most excellent. I'll give it a whirl.

[DuffyH]

Fun link. It led me to SE's taste test of cheese sauces: http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/05/ta...

Serious Eats gives nacho sauce it's due! :)

[seamunky]

If I had to pick only one, cheese sauce. If I could make my ultimate nachos, sauce on first and then some shredded cheese to melt on top to add stretch and chew.

But I am not a fan of just melted cheese by itself on my nachos. I've had too many nacho creations where one chip lifts all the cheese off the rest of the plate.

[C. Hamster]

Yes to orangie sauce AND melted cheese

[truman]

If it's simple nachos, I just use shredded sharp Cheddar.

If I'm going fancy, I do both - e.g., a green chile-Jack cheese sauce and shredded Jack (or Colby-Jack, or Cheddar) cheese. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ty...